绿野仙踪[美]莱·弗·鲍姆/原著
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz


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    Chapter 9. The Queen of the Field Mice
    第9章 田鼠皇后
    
    
    "We cannot be far from the road of yellow brick, now," remarked the Scarecrow, as he stood beside the girl, "for we have come nearly as far as the river carried us away."
    稻草人站在女孩子旁边说:“现在我们离那黄砖路已经很近了,因为我们差不多已经走到了被流水带走时的地方了。”
    The Tin Woodman was about to reply when he heard a low growl, and turning his head (which worked beautifully on hinges) he saw a strange beast come bounding over the grass toward them. It was, indeed, a great yellow Wildcat, and the Woodman thought it must be chasing something, for its ears were lying close to its head and its mouth was wide open, showing two rows of ugly teeth, while its red eyes glowed like balls of fire. As it came nearer the Tin Woodman saw that running before the beast was a little gray field mouse, and although he had no heart he knew it was wrong for the Wildcat to try to kill such a pretty, harmless creature.
    铁皮人正要回答,不远处传来的一种低低的吼声,使她转过头去(他那些铰链是做得很精致的),看见一只奇异的野兽,跳过草地朝他奔来。
    So the Woodman raised his axe, and as the Wildcat ran by he gave it a quick blow that cut the beast's head clean off from its body, and it rolled over at his feet in two pieces.
    的确,是一只黄色的大野猫,铁皮人想道,它想必在追捕什么东西;因为它的一双耳朵,靠紧在头旁边,嘴大大地张开,露出两排可怕的牙齿,一双通红的眼睛,像火球样地发出熠熠的光来。
    The field mouse, now that it was freed from its enemy, stopped short; and coming slowly up to the Woodman it said, in a squeaky little voice:
    当它跑近来时,铁皮人发现它在追赶一只灰色的小田鼠;虽然他没有心,但是他也知道,野猫想要杀死这样一只无害的小动物,这是不仁慈的。
    "Oh, thank you! Thank you ever so much for saving my life."
    铁皮人举起斧头,朝那狂奔的野猫很快地一劈,那只野兽的头迅速地离开了它的身体,四脚乱踢开去,分成了两块。
    "Don't speak of it, I beg of you," replied the Woodman. "I have no heart, you know, so I am careful to help all those who may need a friend, even if it happens to be only a mouse."
    现在,田鼠逃脱了追捕,停止了奔跑;缓缓地走到铁皮人的身边,用一种近乎耳语的声音啼着说:“啊,谢谢你!多谢你救了我的性命。”
    "Only a mouse!" cried the little animal, indignantly. "Why, I am a Queen--the Queen of all the Field Mice!"
    “请不要这么说,”铁皮人回答说。“你不知道我是没有心的,因此我竭尽全力帮助那些遇到灾难的朋友,哪怕是帮助一只小老鼠。”
    "Oh, indeed," said the Woodman, making a bow.
    “仅仅是一只小老鼠!”小动物愤愤地叫喊着;“你要知道!我是一个皇后—是一切田鼠们的皇后!”
    "Therefore you have done a great deed, as well as a brave one, in saving my life," added the Queen.
    “失敬了!”铁皮人说着向它鞠了一个躬。”你救了我的性命,不但是一件大事情,而且是非常勇敢的事情。”田鼠皇后接着说。
    At that moment several mice were seen running up as fast as their little legs could carry them, and when they saw their Queen they exclaimed:
    在这时候,好几只田鼠气喘吁吁地跑过来,当它们发现了皇后,喊着:“啊,尊敬的皇后,我们以为你被猫抓去了!你怎样能够从那只大野兽爪子下逃生的!”它们一齐向小皇后低低地鞠躬,看上去差不多用头抵在地面上了。
    "Oh, your Majesty, we thought you would be killed! How did you manage to escape the great Wildcat?" They all bowed so low to the little Queen that they almost stood upon their heads.
    “这一位好心肠的铁皮人,”它回答说,“杀了野猫,救了我的性命。所以你们要尊敬他,服从他所说的每一句话。”
    "This funny tin man," she answered, "killed the Wildcat and saved my life. So hereafter you must all serve him, and obey his slightest wish."
    “我们一定听从!”小田鼠们用一种尖锐的合唱叫了出来。
    "We will!" cried all the mice, in a shrill chorus. And then they scampered in all directions, for Toto had awakened from his sleep, and seeing all these mice around him he gave one bark of delight and jumped right into the middle of the group. Toto had always loved to chase mice when he lived in Kansas, and he saw no harm in it.
    随后它们猛然四处逃散了,因为托托睡醒了,看见成群的田鼠还围在它的四周,它发出一阵喜悦的吠声,跳进这一群的里头去。当托托住在堪萨斯州的时候,就喜欢追逐老鼠们,它感到其乐无穷。
    But the Tin Woodman caught the dog in his arms and held him tight, while he called to the mice, "Come back! Come back! Toto shall not hurt you."
    但是铁皮人却把狗捉住,紧紧地挟在他的臂弯里,招呼着田鼠们,“回来吧!回来吧!托托不会咬你们的。”
    At this the Queen of the Mice stuck her head out from underneath a clump of grass and asked, in a timid voice, "Are you sure he will not bite us?"
    田鼠皇后从下面的草丛中抬起它的头来,用一种胆怯的声音问道:“你能保证我们的安全吗?”
    "I will not let him," said the Woodman; "so do not be afraid."
    铁皮人说:“我抓着它,你们就不用担心了。”
    One by one the mice came creeping back, and Toto did not bark again, although he tried to get out of the Woodman's arms, and would have bitten him had he not known very well he was made of tin. Finally one of the biggest mice spoke.
    田鼠都爬了回来,托托不再吠了,仍在铁皮人的手臂挣扎着,甚至咬他,它忘了他是铁皮做的。
    "Is there anything we can do," it asked, "to repay you for saving the life of our Queen?"
    后来其中一只最大的田鼠开口了。
    "Nothing that I know of," answered the Woodman; but the Scarecrow, who had been trying to think, but could not because his head was stuffed with straw, said, quickly, "Oh, yes; you can save our friend, the Cowardly Lion, who is asleep in the poppy bed."
    它问道:“你救出我们皇后的性命,我们怎么报答你呢?”
    "A Lion!" cried the little Queen. "Why, he would eat us all up."
    “我想不起有什么事可做,”铁皮人回答说。
    "Oh, no," declared the Scarecrow; "this Lion is a coward."
    稻草人也在思索着,但是他想不出,因为他的头是稻草填塞的,只好信口说到:“啊,有一件事情,你们去救出那只胆小的狮子,它是我们的伙伴儿,它睡倒在罂粟花的田地里。我们毫无办法。”
    "Really?" asked the Mouse.
    “一只狮子!”小皇后叫着说;“不可思议,它会把我们全都吃掉的。”
    "He says so himself," answered the Scarecrow, "and he would never hurt anyone who is our friend. If you will help us to save him I promise that he shall treat you all with kindness."
    “啊,没关系,”稻草人断然地说;“它是个胆小鬼。”
    "Very well," said the Queen, "we trust you. But what shall we do?"
    一只田鼠问:“真的吗?”
    "Are there many of these mice which call you Queen and are willing to obey you?"
    “是它自己告诉我们的,”稻草人回答说。“它决不会伤害谁,它是我们的朋友。况且你们帮助我们救它,我保证它将会和善而友好地对待你们。”
    "Oh, yes; there are thousands," she replied.
    “那太好了,”皇后说,“我们相信你。但是我们能做些什么呢?”
    "Then send for them all to come here as soon as possible, and let each one bring a long piece of string."
    “你是这些田鼠的皇后,是不是所有田鼠都听从你的命令?”
    The Queen turned to the mice that attended her and told them to go at once and get all her people. As soon as they heard her orders they ran away in every direction as fast as possible.
    “当然,是的,我们还有很多老百姓呢,”它回答说。
    "Now," said the Scarecrow to the Tin Woodman, "you must go to those trees by the riverside and make a truck that will carry the Lion."
    “那么,请你尽快地昭唤他们到这里来,并且让它们每一个都带着一根长绳子。”
    So the Woodman went at once to the trees and began to work; and he soon made a truck out of the limbs of trees, from which he chopped away all the leaves and branches. He fastened it together with wooden pegs and made the four wheels out of short pieces of a big tree trunk. So fast and so well did he work that by the time the mice began to arrive the truck was all ready for them.
    皇后立刻转过身来吩咐着侍候它的田鼠们,让它们迅速地把所有的老百姓招呼来。它们一听到这命令,很快就向四处散去。
    They came from all directions, and there were thousands of them: big mice and little mice and middle-sized mice; and each one brought a piece of string in his mouth. It was about this time that Dorothy woke from her long sleep and opened her eyes. She was greatly astonished to find herself lying upon the grass, with thousands of mice standing around and looking at her timidly. But the Scarecrow told her about everything, and turning to the dignified little Mouse, he said:
    “你呢,”稻草人对铁皮人说,“必须跑到河边的那个树林中去,造一辆大车来装运狮子。”
    "Permit me to introduce to you her Majesty, the Queen."
    铁皮人立刻跑到树林中去,开始工作;他砍去所有的叶和小枝,用木栓钉合在一起,在一株大树的干上切成了四片轮子。
    Dorothy nodded gravely and the Queen made a curtsy, after which she became quite friendly with the little girl.
    他做得这么快,又那么精致,在田鼠们聚集在那儿时,大车已经造好了,赫然立在那里。
    The Scarecrow and the Woodman now began to fasten the mice to the truck, using the strings they had brought. One end of a string was tied around the neck of each mouse and the other end to the truck. Of course the truck was a thousand times bigger than any of the mice who were to draw it; but when all the mice had been harnessed, they were able to pull it quite easily. Even the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman could sit on it, and were drawn swiftly by their queer little horses to the place where the Lion lay asleep.
    它们从各处聚拢来,有好几千,大田鼠,小田鼠,和不大不小的田鼠;每一只都衔着一条绳子。
    After a great deal of hard work, for the Lion was heavy, they managed to get him up on the truck. Then the Queen hurriedly gave her people the order to start, for she feared if the mice stayed among the poppies too long they also would fall asleep.
    就在这时候,多萝茜从她的昏睡中醒过来,睁大了眼睛。
    At first the little creatures, many though they were, could hardly stir the heavily loaded truck; but the Woodman and the Scarecrow both pushed from behind, and they got along better. Soon they rolled the Lion out of the poppy bed to the green fields, where he could breathe the sweet, fresh air again, instead of the poisonous scent of the flowers.
    她非常惊异地发现自己躺在草地上,好几千只田鼠围在她身边,怯怯地注视着她。
    Dorothy came to meet them and thanked the little mice warmly for saving her companion from death. She had grown so fond of the big Lion she was glad he had been rescued.
    然而铁皮人把事情的来龙去脉详细说给她听,随后转过身来,指着高贵的田鼠皇后,问:“请允许我把田鼠皇后介绍给你?”
    Then the mice were unharnessed from the truck and scampered away through the grass to their homes. The Queen of the Mice was the last to leave.
    多萝茜微笑着点点头,皇后行了礼,很快它就和小女孩子友好相处了。
    "If ever you need us again," she said, "come out into the field and call, and we shall hear you and come to your assistance. Good-bye!"
    接着稻草人和铁皮人就用田鼠们带来的绳子,把它们联结在大车上。绳子的一端,缠在每一只田鼠的颈里,另外一端则紧紧缚在大车上。
    "Good-bye!" they all answered, and away the Queen ran, while Dorothy held Toto tightly lest he should run after her and frighten her.
    倘若所有的田鼠装配好了,它们就能轻快地拉动它了。即使稻草人和铁皮人坐在上面,这些貌似弱小的小马们,也能轻松地拉到狮子所熟睡的地方去。
    After this they sat down beside the Lion until he should awaken; and the Scarecrow brought Dorothy some fruit from a tree near by, which she ate for her dinner.
    狮子的身体是沉重的,它们费了很大的劲儿才把它弄上了大车。于是皇后焦灼地对它的老百姓发出“拉!”的命令,因为它也担心田鼠们在罂粟花田里待得太久了,同样会醉倒的。
    
    开始,虽然小动物们数量众多,也很难拉如此重负,在铁皮人和稻草人的帮助下,它们才吃力地把狮子拉出了送命的花床。
    
    多萝茜上前来迎接它们,热情地感谢小田鼠们,因为它们从死里救活了她的朋友。她很思念胆小的狮子,它得救了。她很激动。
    
    于是田鼠们都从大车上解下了绳子,迅速地穿过草地,回到它们来的地方去了。
    
    田鼠皇后说:“假如你们遇到什么麻烦,需要我们帮助的话,请到田野来呼唤一声,我们会跑来帮助你们的。再会!”
    
    “再会!”他们齐声回答。田鼠皇后走了,多萝茜抱紧了托托,否则,它会跑去追逐田鼠皇后,或者会咬伤它呢。
    
    现在,他们坐在狮子的旁边,等它醒来;一阵凉风吹来,夹杂着清新的花香,扑进他们的鼻子,还有几只游荡的蜜蜂飞过头项,似乎在空气中洒下蜜香。他们陶醉了。稻草人在近旁的一株树上,摘来了许多新鲜的果子,让多萝茜当午饭吃。
    
    

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